Designing Healthy Interiors

The interior was identified as the site of high transmission during COVID-19, resulting in a global shut-down. Breathing, talking, singing, sneezing and coughing became the focus of attention as pathways of viral transmission in the interior. Daily routines were interrupted and brought to a halt while waiting for guidance from health agencies. Procedures and protocols were implemented in order to decrease the spread of infection, most relevant in indoor spaces where personal spheres intersected more frequently with one another.

The pandemic revealed an overdue need to be proactive in reconfiguring interiors for yearly flu viruses, cold seasons and unexpected health risks in order to reduce transmission between co-workers, household members and society as a whole. Temporary solutions sprang up in interiors, but solutions that are robust and seasonal while simultaneously enhancing spaces for function and usability are needed.

With the interior as the site of convergence, this two-day symposium and one-day workshop brings together twelve presenters and six moderators representing interior designers, scientists, engineers, epidemiologists, visualization designers, and public health experts whose work investigates infectious disease transmission made more imminent when confined indoors. Session topics will inform designers and anyone with an interest in shaping healthy interiors to understand how infectious respiratory particles are transmitted from the body, how far particles travel, pathways into respiratory systems, infectious surfaces known as fomites, how to protect the individual and community, and what steps can be taken to mitigate transmission.